Theres a door on the left side that we want to be able to get to. We can make the tank smaller and leave enough space for someone to get behind....but thats not going to happen lol
950 Plywood/Acrylic Build on Wheels!
- Thread starter FisheadFrank
- Start date
The whole bottom of the tank is supported by 2x12's but we are still going to double the 3/4" plywood on the bottom.
Patched an 8'x38" to an 2'x38" piece of plywood to create the back wall of the tank.
Used 1.25" pre-drilling screws to attach the walls and bottom of the tank together, spacing them out every 2" and lots of wood glue
Patched an 8'x38" to an 2'x38" piece of plywood to create the back wall of the tank.
Used 1.25" pre-drilling screws to attach the walls and bottom of the tank together, spacing them out every 2" and lots of wood glue
Dont want to sound like a butt head but how long do you think this is actually hold up. There's going to be alot stress on the tank full of water then you throw in the leveling screws and casters. That is a recipe for disaster all it takes is a week spot and extra stress (like a caster folding) then you have 800 gal of water rushing threw your house like a freight train. As I see your doing what you want but you should stand back and look at the big picture. If casters and leveling screws was such a good idea they would come as a option on all tanks. Honestly how many tanks have you seen on casters. I've been in this hobby for 30 years and I've never seen a tank on casters. Just my 2 cents
Thanks for your concern. I appreciate the feedback. Any time you build a large tank out of wood it is a recipe for disaster! However, there is no way that a caster will fold without taking a chunk out of the 6x6 and that's not happening anytime soon, I used 3 inch bolts to hold the wheels in place. lf a wheel ever slowly crushes/compresses under stress from the weight, there are bolts next to each wheel to support it. I haven't seen any tanks on casters before, one of the reasons I'm doing it lol. Just because it's never been done before, doesn't mean it can't be done, don't count me out yet
Well good luck man.. If the tank fails 800 gallons of water is going to be pretty expensive to clean
So why would you add to that already high risk for disaster?
Believe me, I'm rooting for you in this as I would hate to see anybody's hard work and money go in such a disastrous way. However, not a single person has sided with you in this build and a lot of very experienced fish keepers have told you it's a bad idea. I have no doubt that the casters will hold the weight but what will eventually fail is the crossmembers that run in between them. I know you used 6x6's and braced them together, and all of that, but you are talking about 4-5 tons of water/tank weight. That frame you built will eventually warp under that weight and I'm guessing it won't take very long. When that happens it will definitely cause a seem to break apart somewhere on the tank, and then you will have incredible damage to your house, not to mention whatever money you have tied up in fish in the aquarium. Think about the creaks in the second floor of a house. People are walking on boards that are anywhere between 2x6's to 2x12's depending on the building and those boards warp. I know that you are building your frame stronger than a standard floor, but you are also essentially stacking two Suburbans on top of it. I think you are taking way too much of a chance here but it's your build and your house, so I can do nothing but sit back and watch, and hope you will end up taking everyone's advice.
You are not at a point where you can't simply take the casters and leveling bolts off and just the frame by itself flat on the ground. I really hope you'll reconsider trying this but if not, I wish you the best of luck.
Thanks I appreciate the feedback. Like you said casters will hold the weight, so there is no reason not to use them. as for the cross members warping lets pray that, that never happens! I don't think they will warp between the two layers of plywood and the 2x12's across the 6x6's (there's only 15 inches of space between the 6x6's leaving 3 inches (thickness) of ply and 2x12 to warp, which shouldn't happen)
I've seen stand builds on mfk with less supports then mine and no issues with wood warping...yet and lets hope it stays that way.
I think the first step before adding water to the tank would be to choose which kind of new tile for the floor you want. 2,500 psi on ceramic tile, ummm no.
The wheels will be going on 2x12's that are 50ish inches long. That will distribute the weight to the floor without harming the tiles. Also to ensure that the wheels don't sink into the wood, I willl be adding 1/4" steel on top of the wood at the same dimensions.
